This thesis is a study of the role of the domiciliary home help and community auxiliary nursing services in England and Wales. The origins of the two services, interwoven as they are with political, social and demographic changes, are traced. Factors in the development of the services such as the effects of war, infant mortality, the professionalisation of nursing and medicine, the low status of domestic service, the role of voluntary organisations and the policies of successive governments in particular since 1948, are discussed. The parallel development of both services since 1948 is analysed. The increase in the numbers employed in the auxiliary nursing field, since the separation of nursing and the home help service in 1972, and its effect upon the role of the home help is examined. The concern at the possible duplication and overlapping of a role, because of the independent development of the two services since 1972, is also discussed. In an attempt to identify the actual tasks carried out by both groups of workers, I carried out a large study of the role of each group. A postal questionnaire, listing 110 tasks was completed by 1037 home helps in 20 Local Authorities and 1368 nursing auxiliaries in 81 District Health Authorities. The completed questionnaires were analysed under the headings of: Professional Nursing; Basic Nursing; Administrative; Domestic; Personal; Advisory; Escorting and Miscellaneous Tasks. The data collected on the role of the home help and auxiliary nurse is examined and areas of potential overlap discussed, along with an analysis of the perception that each group has of their role. The variation in practice in differing authorities is also discussed. The thesis is concluded by a summary and conclusions. In the appendices each group of tasks is analysed, in tables, by frequency, perception of role, age, sex, time in post, marital status, qualifications, political affiliation of each authority and type cf authority. A comparison of the number of tasks and the percentage of staff carrying them out in each authority is also included.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:368196 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Clarke, John William |
| Publisher | University of Sheffield |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14832/ |
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